The Reckoning - 6

This film is set in the 14th century, and deals with a murder mystery (in the tradition of The Name of the Rose). The story is intriguing and more complex than my sleepy eyes could keep up with (I should get more rest). It gives insight into story-telling as a medium for truth, the complexity and emotion that goes into this process. The film uses actors to tell a story, in this case there is the story within the story (actors portraying actors within the film). It is interesting how people react differently to what is claimed as truth, or at least trying to get at truth, and fiction. A good example of this is the hype and controversy of the novel, The Da Vinci Code. It raises questions of tradition and authority as modes of truth and how this complicates human knowing. This is shown easily because of the time period in which there were feudal lords, a strict class system, and a dominant religion -Christianity. I think its complexity allows for some interesting comparisons to our own time and the way we tell stories. This film shows that story-telling is a common part of culture throughout different time periods.